The present invention relates to an apparatus used to sort, segregate, and organize various items within an enclosed space. In particular, the present invention relates to an organizer having an adjustable width.
Organizers come in a variety of sizes and configurations and are frequently used to store items in a separate enclosure (e.g., a drawer). Examples of items which can be organized include cutlery, mixing utensils, eating utensils, stationary supplies, etc. Typically, drawer organizers include a plurality of compartments sized and arranged to receive a variety of items for storage and easy accessibility.
It is known to provide one or more boxes within a drawer. However, such an arrangement does not utilize the entire space within the drawer and the individual boxes may slide around and become disorganized.
Drawer organizers having a plurality of compartments are also known. However, such organizers typically do not adequately utilize the space within the drawer and may slide around when the drawer is opened or closed, requiring constant readjustment and repositioning.
In an attempt to overcome the shortcomings of such organizers, the use of xe2x80x9cadjustablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d organizers may be employed. However, such products require cutting of material and are difficult to install. Prior organizers of this type are typically characterized by their lack of adjustability, inconvenience, inability to utilize the entire enclosure, or lack of a locking mechanism. As a result, such organizers are generally not well-suited for situations where reorientation and arrangement of the organizer is different or inconvenient. For example, after opening and closing a drawer several times, the organizer must be repositioned or reoriented. When the drawer is used often (e.g., for flatware), there may be a lot of movement that causes the organizer to lose its set positioning. Such xe2x80x9cmovementxe2x80x9d may include picking the organizer up (e.g., to access areas of the drawer behind or otherwise adjacent to the organizer), or action created by the movement of a drawer to access the items stored in the organizer.
Second, certain known organizers can be adjusted but the methods for doing so involve inefficient steps. Third, even if adjustable, prior organizers are frequently not used as intended because of their inconvenience, and therefore the benefit of xe2x80x9cadjustabilityxe2x80x9d is not realized by the user.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an organizer having one or more compartments moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, the organizer being held or xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d in a desired configuration. It would also be desirable if the product communicates to the user when the organizer is xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d into the desired position.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an organizer with adjustable width. It would also be advantageous to have an adjustable organizer capable of being secured or xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d in a desired position. It would further be advantageous to have a xe2x80x9clockingxe2x80x9d adjustable organizer that signals to the user when it is in the locked position. It would further be advantageous to have an adjustable organizer that requires a minimum amount of assembly.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating and holding a plurality of items. The apparatus includes a main compartment, at least a first side compartment, and an adjustable retaining system. The adjustable retaining system is configured to couple the main compartment to the first side compartment in a plurality of different positions. The first side compartment can be held in a desired position by a compliant retaining system.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for holding a plurality of items. The apparatus includes a main section having one or more compartments, at least a first side compartment, and a means for reasonably coupling the main section to the first side compartment.
The present invention further relates to an apparatus for separating a plurality of items. The apparatus includes a main section having one or more compartments, a first side compartment, and a means for releasably coupling the main section the first side compartment.
The present invention further relates to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments.